Did Jeff Gordon’s Chase go up in smoke?

Did Jeff Gordon’s Chase go up in smoke?

 

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(October 9, 2011)

 

KANSAS CITY, Kan.—A promising run unraveled for Jeff Gordon late in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 and put any hopes he has of winning a fifth Sprint Cup title in serious jeopardy.

 

Gordon spent most of the afternoon in the top five at the 1.5-mile track, but his day started to come apart on a restart on Lap 225 of 272, when slight contact with Tony Stewart’s Chevrolet sent Gordon back through the field like a stone.

 

To make matters worse, the oil temperature in Gordon’s engine began to climb, and on Lap 265 the motor erupted in smoke.

 

“It was a heck of a performance for Quaker State motor oil today, ’cause I didn’t think it would last as long as it did,” Gordon said after climbing from the car. “I don’t know what happened, but my oil temp was just pegged for—shoot--30 laps, and I knew it was just a matter of time, but to last that long was pretty amazing.

 

“That restart, Tony Stewart took me three-wide, all the way down to the apron, and we were on old tires and that just ruined our day right there. He did what he had to do, it messed us up, but right after that we start getting smoke. We thought it was tire smoke, but it wasn’t. It was under the hood. Obviously, it ended our day.”

 

Gordon finished 34th and fell to 10th in the Chase standings, 47 points behind leader Carl Edwards. Gordon will need flawless performances in the final six races—along with plenty of help from his rivals—to climb back into contention for the title.